PHOTO: Australian Wine. GETTY
Winemakers in Australia are looking to increase exports to Britain and the US, as the country’s trade war with China shows no signs of abating.
The Asian superpower recently slapped tariffs of up to 212 percent on Australia wine, amid ongoing political and trade tensions between the two countries.
The taxes on wines followed a number of other restrictions placed on agricultural exports, and sparked calls from Australia’s Trade Minister for China to “play by the rules“.
Now, although negotiations continue, many winemakers in Australia are reconsidering their export options and conceding it may be time to find other trade partners, reports ABC News.
Not only are exporters turning to markets like the US and Britain, there are also calls to push Australian wine into new markets such as India.
China has been the largest export market for Australia wine since 2016, according to IBISworld, accounting for 36 percent of export revenue. Before that, the US was in the top position, followed by the UK.
Mitchell Taylor, managing director of Taylors Wines, told ABC he believed the US market had not only had room to grow, but would also be more stable than China.
However, according to the industry group Australian Grape and Wine, increasing exports to the US would not be easy, as Australian wine would be up against strong domestic brands, such as those produced in California.
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